White Lights, Red Clouds
by Secret Sheik
Summary: The Akatsuki celebrates with fireworks. Light PeinKonan if you squint.


A/N: Well I just HAD to write a little one-shot for today...!

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White Lights and Red Clouds - An Akatsuki 4th of July Special

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Konan walked casually out onto the ledge overhanging the main base, overlooking the whole of Amegakure beneath them. There on the ledge, Sasori and Deidara were arguing over what should be mixed into the small casings they were fumbling with. Zetsu gave her a slow nod as his feisty subordinate wriggled under the plant's restraining grip. Itachi stood silently next to her partner, Pein, only nodding politely as he turned back to watch the artists bicker.

"Danna, please, I know about this one, it needs more powder."

"Brat, you need to add less to draw out the effect as long as possible."

"That's not the point! The more there is, the bigger the bang, un!"

"You idiot, there's more to this art than just a bigger explosion. There's great challenge in drawing out the effect, seeing just what will make it last."

"Tsch... Why don't you just stick with making the little ones, un. You seem to do better with those."

"You're the one that asked me to help you make these stupid things."

"They're not stupid, un! They're my art! And art is a BANG! Let me make the rest, un!"

"Stupid deluded brat..." With that, Sasori relented, letting Deidara make the last of the explosives. From a small distance, Hidan's low voice could barely be heard muttering behind them.

"Hey Kakuzu, five bucks says that Sasori won't be able to keep his fucking mouth shut and let Deidara do it."

"Moron, I know better than to bet against that."

As predicted, Sasori came up once more to Deidara, shaking his head ruefully. "You aren't even putting your chakra into it."

"I don't have to, it's all science, un."

"Since when did you learn so much about science, brat?"

"I've always known it, it helps with my art, un."

"It's taking too long, I'm getting impatient."

"Just shut up, un. It will be worth the wait. I'll only be a second, un."

Kisame finally reached the top of the ledge, heading towards his partner with his usual grin. "Hey, Itachi-san. Isn't he done yet?"

Itachi didn't even glance at him, merely accepting the shark's presence at his side. "No, he is not. However, he said that it would only be a moment longer."

Kisame sat down on the rocky ledge, Itachi soon joining him. After a second, the shark held out a small box with a few skewers of dango in it, holding it out to the Uchiha. "Here, got you a snack."

His usually crimson eyes had gone dark for the night, relaxed in the somewhat familiar scene. He took a stick from the box, nodding to his partner politely. "Thank you, Kisame."

On the other side, Tobi was trying harder and harder to escape Zetsu's grasp. "But Zetsu-san, Tobi wants to play with fire too!"

Zetsu never loosened his grip in the slightest. "Deidara is a professional, let him do it. **Only an idiot would ever let you play with fire.**"

Konan sat gracefully at Pein's other side, both waiting for the eventual show with mutual silence. At long last, Deidara yelled out at the group. "All done, un!" With one last manic grin, he waved everyone to a careful distance and lit a match, holding the flame to a series of several long strings. He soon stepped back as well, flopping down near his partner as he waited for the show, his grin almost as bright as the full moon overhead.

The strings burned shorter and shorter, then the first wave of fireworks shot into the sky. After a moment, another set set off, then another, all seemingly timed. The first batch burst in an immense explosion, bold red and white filling the sky, the star-bursts spreading instantly. One by one, a rainbow flurry of colors burst in the sky, slowly but surely, one, two, one, two, three, one, two...

Deidara tensed just a little, clenching his fists as his grin widened. "Here comes the good part, un!"

Konan had been distracted by his comment but turned her eyes again to the sky, watching as an intense flurry of explosions rocked the sky, filling the air with waves of energy. Pein leaned forward just a little, and she was distracted again though this time she didn't look back to the sky. In the endless swirl of the Rin'negan, the clouds of color whirled around and around, looking like stars swept into the inescapable tug of a black hole. When he looked down at her curiously, she only smiled up at him. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Not looking back up at the sky either, he responded with his own slight tug at his lips. "Yes... beautiful." He didn't look away, only keeping her rapt gaze as the last light faded from the sky, one last explosion shaped in the trademark red cloud.

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A/N: Happy Fourth, everyone!


End file.
